Ergonomic curved athletic glove

Abstract

An ergonomic curved athletic glove is provided. The glove comprises palm and back portions as well as four finger sheaths and a thumb sheath, each sheath having a front and back finger portion and one or more gussets. The thumb, pinky, and index finger sheaths may incorporate a “seamless” design that avoids seams where the glove comes in contact with a sporting implement and reduces potential gripping interference. The palm portion of the glove may comprise multiple sections connected with a stretchable palm gusset to minimize bunching when a sporting implement is gripped. The length of each front finger portion is shorter than the length of the corresponding back finger portion to provide the glove with a gripping curve. Providing the glove with a gripping curve minimizes bunching of the front finger portions, front thumb portion, and palm portion while a received hand grips the sporting implement.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An athletic glove capable of receiving a human hand, comprising:
 a palm portion; 
 a front index finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front index finger length; 
 a front middle finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front middle finger length; 
 a front ring finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front ring finger length; 
 a front pinky finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front pinky finger length; 
 a front thumb portion extending from the palm portion and having a front thumb length; 
 a back portion connected to the palm portion such that an opening capable of receiving a human hand is formed between the back portion and the palm portion, the opening opposite the front finger portions; 
 a back index finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back index finger length that is longer than the front index finger length; 
 a back middle finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back middle finger length that is longer than the front middle finger length; 
 a back ring finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back ring finger length that is longer than the front ring finger length; 
 a back pinky finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back pinky finger length that is longer than the front pinky finger length; 
 a back thumb portion extending from the back portion and having a back thumb length; 
 two pairs of curved finger gussets connecting the front and back middle finger portions and the front and back ring finger portions, the curve of each pair of finger gussets determined by the difference in length between the corresponding front and back finger portions; and 
 one curved finger gusset connecting each of the front and back index finger portions, such that the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of a user; and 
 at least one curved finger gusset connecting each of the front and back pinky finger portions, and the front and back thumb portions, 
 wherein the length of each front finger portion and front thumb portion is selected to form a curve that minimizes bunching of the front finger portions and front thumb portion while a received hand grips a sporting implement. 
 
     
     
       2. The glove of  claim 1 , wherein the palm portion comprises multiple sections, and the glove further comprising a palm gusset made of a stretchable material connecting the multiple sections of the palm portion, the palm gusset minimizing bunching of the palm portion while the received hand grips the sporting implement. 
     
     
       3. The glove of  claim 2 , wherein the palm gusset forms an approximate “T” pattern. 
     
     
       4. The glove of  claim 1 , wherein only one curved finger gusset connects the front and back thumb portions, the connection located along an area corresponding to an outside of a thumb sheath when the glove is worn by a user, wherein the front and back thumb portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around a thumb of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no thumb seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       5. The glove of  claim 4 , wherein only one curved finger gusset connects the front and back index finger portions, the connection located along an area corresponding to an inside of an index finger sheath nearest to a middle finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, where the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no index finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       6. The glove of  claim 5 , wherein only one curved finger gusset connects the front and back pinky finger portions, the connection located along the area corresponding to a side of a pinky finger sheath nearest to a ring finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, wherein the front and back pinky finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around a pinky finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no pinky finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       7. An athletic glove capable of receiving a human hand, comprising:
 a palm portion having multiple sections; 
 a palm gusset made of a stretchable material connecting the multiple sections of the palm portion; 
 a front index finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front index finger length; 
 a front middle finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front middle finger length; 
 a front ring finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front ring finger length; 
 a front pinky finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front pinky finger length; 
 a front thumb portion extending from the palm portion and having a front thumb length; 
 a back portion connected to the palm portion such that an opening capable of receiving a human hand is formed between the back portion and the palm portion, the opening opposite the front finger portions; 
 a back index finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back index finger length; 
 a back middle finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back middle finger length; 
 a back ring finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back ring finger length; 
 a back pinky finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back pinky finger length; 
 a back thumb portion extending from the back portion and having a back thumb length; 
 two pairs of curved finger gussets connecting the front and back middle finger portions and the front and back ring finger portions; and 
 one curved finger gusset connecting each of the front and back index finger portions, such that the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of a user; and 
 at least one curved finger gusset connecting each of, the front and back pinky finger portions, and the front and back thumb portions, 
 wherein the palm gusset minimizes bunching of the palm portion while the received hand grips a sporting implement. 
 
     
     
       8. The glove of  claim 7 , wherein the palm gusset forms an approximate “T” pattern. 
     
     
       9. The glove of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the back index finger length is longer than the front index finger length, 
 the back middle finger length is longer than the front middle finger length, 
 the back ring finger length is longer than the front ring finger length, 
 the back pinky finger length is longer than the front pinky finger length, 
 the back thumb length is longer than the front thumb length, 
 each finger gusset has a curve determined by the difference in length between the corresponding front and back finger or thumb portions, and 
 the length of each front finger portion and front thumb portion is selected to form a curve that minimizes bunching of the front finger portions and front thumb portion while a received hand grips a sporting implement. 
 
     
     
       10. The glove of  claim 7 , wherein only one finger gusset connects the front and back thumb portions, the connection located along an area corresponding to an outside of a thumb sheath when the glove is worn by a user, wherein the front and back thumb portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around a thumb of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no thumb seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       11. The glove of  claim 10 , wherein only one finger gusset connects the front and back index finger portions, the connection located along an area corresponding to an inside of an index finger sheath nearest to a middle finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, where the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no index finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       12. The glove of  claim 11 , wherein only one finger gusset connects the front and back pinky finger portions, the connection located along the area corresponding to a side of a pinky finger sheath nearest to a ring finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, wherein the front and back pinky finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around a pinky finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no pinky finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       13. The glove of  claim 11 , wherein only one finger gusset connects the front and back pinky finger portions, the connection located along the area corresponding to a side of a pinky finger sheath nearest to a ring finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, wherein the front and back pinky finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around a pinky finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no pinky finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
     
     
       14. An athletic glove capable of receiving a human hand, comprising:
 a palm portion; 
 a front index finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front index finger length; 
 a front middle finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front middle finger length; 
 a front ring finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front ring finger length; 
 a front pinky finger portion extending from the palm portion and having a front pinky finger length; 
 a front thumb portion extending from the palm portion and having a front thumb length; 
 a back portion connected to the palm portion such that an opening capable of receiving a human hand is formed between the back portion and the palm portion, the opening opposite the front finger portions; 
 a back index finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back index finger length; 
 a back middle finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back middle finger length; 
 a back ring finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back ring finger length; 
 a back pinky finger portion extending from the back portion and having a back pinky finger length; 
 a back thumb portion extending from the back portion and having a back thumb length; 
 two pairs of finger gussets connecting the front and back middle finger portions and the front and back ring finger portions; 
 one curved finger gusset connecting each of the front and back index finger portions, such that the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of a user; and 
 at least one curved finger gusset connecting each of the front and back pinky finger portions; and 
 one finger gusset connecting the front and back thumb portions along an area corresponding to an outside of a thumb sheath when the glove is worn by a user, the front and back thumb portions being a continuous piece of material that wraps around a thumb of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no thumb seams come in contact with the sporting implement. 
 
     
     
       15. The glove of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the back index finger length is longer than the front index finger length, 
 the back middle finger length is longer than the front middle finger length, 
 the back ring finger length is longer than the front ring finger length, 
 the back pinky finger length is longer than the front pinky finger length, 
 the back thumb length is longer than the front thumb length, 
 each finger gusset has a curve determined by the difference in length between the corresponding front and back finger or thumb portions, and 
 the length of each front finger portion and front thumb portion is selected to form a curve that minimizes bunching of the front finger portions and front thumb portion while a received hand grips a sporting implement. 
 
     
     
       16. The glove of  claim 14 , wherein the palm portion comprises multiple sections, and the glove further comprising a palm gusset made of a stretchable material connecting the multiple sections of the palm portion, the palm gusset minimizing bunching of the palm portion while the received hand grips the sporting implement. 
     
     
       17. The glove of  claim 14 , wherein only one finger gusset connects the front and back index finger portions, the connection located along an area corresponding to an inside of an index finger sheath nearest to a middle finger sheath when the glove is worn by the user, where the front and back index finger portions are a continuous piece of material that wraps around an index finger of the user, such that when the glove is worn and a sporting implement is gripped in a proper gripping position, no index finger seams come in contact with the sporting implement.